I began my adventures in Azeroth as a rogue, prior to the Burning Crusade. I traveled to the far reaches of the continents helping whoever I crossed paths with, so that I could learn the ways and perspectives of the various inhabitants of each land. With few exceptions, I found their grievances as well as their concepts for possible solutions to be very similar, and similarly shortsighted. I also explored the many forgotten places and found areas which were broken and jagged, discovered ways around some of the invisible barriers, and lost a considerable amount of time meandering through largely empty lands.

During the Burning Crusade, I found that my skills as a rogue were useful to those who set about the work of removing corrupt individuals and organizations from positions of power as quickly as possible. For a time the teamwork and the shared effort of continually improving, was a great thing to be a part of. However, some broke under the strain of that sustained effort, some lost themselves to the pressure of leadership, still others succumbed to perpetual and self-absorbed want and need. I observed all of this from the shadows, but my words of caution and suggestions for alternatives fell on deaf ears, even for those who could see the truth of it. For as much as I am either, they denied my natural leadership and wisdom to their own undoing.

Having spent so long walking in the shadows as a rogue, I became increasingly discontent with the limitations of my skill set. Even though I tried to expand my abilities beyond my training, and although I accomplished several feats some would think beyond a rogue, I began to contemplate other possible paths. The first I explored was the path of the druid, and then that of the shaman.

When I arrived in Northrend, I continued with those striving to rid the world of evil-doers with all haste. We continued to be successful, even though that success became increasingly hollow as I watched the cycles of hatred and vendetta continue and escalate even after so many years of effort to make peace. I began to understand that most of the time, the ways and means by which we set about to end conflict, were inescapably creating more conflict. Perhaps in those situations it would have been, and be, more helpful to actually resolve the conflict rather than just trying to end it. To do so, would simply require different tools and different ways, but the will to do the right thing and to create peace would remain.

Although we had just began our adventures in Northrend, the long effort of the Burning Crusade had taken it's toll on the team, and it was just too fractured, and too sick to continue as it was. So they turned against themselves and against me. Even though I had earned the friendship of many of those in that team, it was unfortunately not enough to temper their irrationalities. They had placed individual pride before strategy, and in so doing had forgotten that it is teamwork which brings success. So I made my peace with them and journeyed on alone.

Having spent years refining my skill as part of a large team, I decided to test myself against other heroes. Although I did meet, and probably fought with and against others of like mind, what I tended to encounter in those arenas and battlefields were thugs, mercenaries and bullies, not heroes. At very least, those were the vocal minority, but even so, it reflects very poorly on all of us when we allow them to speak for us collectively.

Having seen the unexamined and unresolved internal conflicts destroy a community from within, and having observed the unrestrained aggression and competitiveness at all costs mentality dominate the other tests of skill, I decided that I needed to step away from participating in those things and get back to the simpler experience of exploration. Having traveled the known realms, I then decided that a long vacation in the south seas was in order.

After some time, I came back to see the world broken by the Cataclysm, though I found it to be strangely more coherent than the world was previously. During this time I spent some days walking the path of the paladin. Although there were things about each of these additional paths that I liked, I found myself divided into too many parts, which were each along a convergent trajectory. Once the Cataclysm was over, I returned to the south seas to contemplate my future path.

So for a long time I sailed the south seas, then just drifted about with the winds and currents. I then found a strange but familiar land and for brief time, I trained with the monks on the Wandering Isle. It was there that I found my true path. With this realization I gathered up everything I could from my previous journeys, and set about the work of simplifying and integrating everything I had experienced. Having walked the paths of rogue, druid, shaman and paladin, from before The Burning Crusade and through many arenas and battlegrounds, I now walk the path of the Monk.

I have read and agree to abide by the code of conduct, as I found it reasonable and clear.

II. Yourself

1. What guilds were you in before this one, if any? How long were you a member? Why are you no longer with them?

I alluded to being part of other guilds, and to some degree the reasons I am not longer with them in the character section. In order, I was in: Moon Ascendants, Eternity, then two of my own guilds Phycodurus (now deleted) and Ghostfish (gave ownership to a friend). Other than what I inferred above, I'd rather not perpetuate any drama with the specifics of any of those situations. When I came back during MoP and after I decided to delete all my alts and reincarnate/reroll my main (rogue) as a monk, I floated through a couple different guilds just to get a larger sense of the Silver Hand community than I had while I was part of the progression raiding community/team known as Handle-it.

2. What are you looking for from Ironsong?

Community, maturity and perspective. I've known about Ironsong since my early days in WoW, and my first experience of the guild was encountering Kretol sitting on the summoning stone outside RFC. I then proceeded to ask him to run me and some random through it. At the time I was a noob rogue and barely making the level requirement to zone in. I remember thinking it was cool that someone would be generous with their time like that, and for whatever reason choosing to show a bit of kindness to a stranger.

3. How long have you played Warcraft?

Long enough to know better, but I still enjoy it from time to time despite myself.

4. If you have a preference, when do you tend to play?

Over the last several years since I stopped progression raiding, I have just been having brief sessions during random breaks or downtime in my life. Currently I am on my summer break, though before the end of the month I will be gone again for a long time doing field conservation work.

5. If you have anything you would like to add to tell us more about yourself, do so here.

If I seem like I would be welcome in the guild, I would like to remain in it even though I am going to be gone for a long time and only play sporadically. Also, I am not the best at speaking in character as I have always just been me and don't have a separate personality for the character Xoiiku. I am somewhat knowledgeable about the lore and history of WoW, from having done a lot of questing and such, but it's a passive interest.